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A Turkish football rivalry has spilled into the courtroom after a Galatasaray board member allegedly photographed a Fenerbahce player during a judicial hearing, triggering a legal investigation and escalating tensions between the Istanbul clubs.
The incident occurred during a hearing Wednesday at Istanbul's 3rd Criminal Court of First Instance, where Fenerbahce midfielder Mert Hakan Yandas appeared via video link to testify in an assault case. Galatasaray board member Timur Kuban allegedly used his mobile phone to photograph Yandas during the remote testimony, prompting immediate action from court officials.
The judge confiscated Kuban's phone, ordered him removed from the courtroom, and filed a criminal complaint against him. The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation into the matter.
Fenerbahce issued a strongly worded statement calling the incident "extremely grave" for Turkish sports. The club said Kuban's actions during judicial proceedings constituted "an open violation of law" beyond mere ethical transgression.
"A sports club executive's behavior in such circumstances is unacceptable and cannot be legitimized by hiding behind the concept of 'rivalry,'" Fenerbahce stated. "Law cannot be violated by stadium reflexes or community affiliations."
The club pledged to pursue all legal rights on behalf of Yandas and declared it would not allow the incident to be covered up or normalized.
Galatasaray fired back hours later, accusing Fenerbahce of launching a "perception game" to distract from the court's ruling in the assault case. The club described the photograph taken by its board member as inadvertent.
"We are watching with astonishment the new perception game started by Fenerbahce Sports Club," Galatasaray stated. The club said the controversy aimed to overshadow the "grave actions" of defendants who "like a gang of bandits attacked their hosts where they were guests."
Galatasaray emphasized that the photograph contained no images of defendants, lawyers, the court panel or spectators, suggesting the furor was manufactured to shift attention from the criminal convictions.
The courtroom drama unfolded during proceedings related to a May 19, 2024 incident at Rams Park Stadium following a derby match between the two clubs. The court convicted five individuals of assault causing bone fractures against Galatasaray stadium director Ali Celikkiran.
Those convicted included Yandas, fellow Fenerbahce player Jayden Quinn Oosterwolde, club doctor Ertugrul Karanlik, former Fenerbahce executive Hulusi Belgu, and Emre Kartal, son of the club's technical director.
The court sentenced each defendant to one year, four months and 14 days imprisonment for assault under unjust provocation. However, the announcement of the verdict was deferred, effectively suspending the sentences.
During testimony, Yandas defended his actions by claiming the confrontation arose because Galatasaray personnel had shown disrespect toward flags. "For us, both the Turkish flag and Fenerbahce flag are honor and dignity, they cannot be trivialized," he said, requesting acquittal.
Medical reports submitted to the court indicated Celikkiran suffered a cervical vertebra fracture. A forensic medical examination determined the injury was not life-threatening but exceeded the threshold for simple medical intervention and had moderate impact on vital functions.
The original indictment had sought prison sentences ranging from two years and three months to six years and nine months for the defendants on charges of intentional injury causing bone fractures and hooliganism at sports venues.
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